Wraith, in the US, that old lady could post up on Facebook that she thinks you are a communist and a thief, and you wouldn't be able to do jack shit about it. In Germany, she knows that all she can do is waggle her finger. Just point back and smile. Being different is hard work. Some days, it's freaking exhausting.

There's complete bullshit in both countries, for sure. The entire German school system reeks of favoritism and misery to me. But it does not require university to have a good career and paycheck in the end. Six of one, half-dozen of the other. The German driving license system, OTOH, is a gold standard, IMO. Thankfully, I could afford Fahrschule. Most people who need to drive in the US (due to lack of transit) could not afford a Führerschein, so we put them on the road with an eye test, 20 questions of theory, and a signature. They go to work and pay taxes, and life is good. Not perfect, but good.

Lots of people want perfection, to the point that good enough isn't good enough. From my perspective, a helmet law is the least intrusive option in the sea of potential limitations on the riding of motorcycles. The restrictions could go a few different ways, and each one has more negative implications and effects on the hobby, namely, much higher costs.

I'm ok with a helmet law. And I'm one of the purple (pink, actually) hair crowd, going back to 3rd grade when I got my first dress code violation for wearing a blouse with illegal ruffles. I guess I got hooked. I'm thinking about blue for my next hair. I liked it last time......

... Lots of people want perfection, to the point that good enough isn't good enough. From my perspective, a helmet law is the least intrusive option in the sea of potential limitations on the riding of motorcycles. The restrictions could go a few different ways, and each one has more negative implications and effects on the hobby, namely, much higher costs. ...

What I want is for a lot more of people minding their own business and not thinking they have the right to tell everyone else what to do. That's a problem that is a LOT bigger than helmet laws, but helmet laws are a symptom of that problem. I work to fight against that problem in a wide variety of ways, whenever I encounter it.

Maybe it's true that "a helmet law is the least intrusive option in the sea of potential limitations on the riding of motorcycles", but why accept ANY of those limitations? When you accept a limitation, you accept the whole idea that it's OK for others to put limitations on you and your choices, and you have then ceded the entire principle. You are no longer standing for individual rights and liberty; you have allowed the those who wish to restrict your rights to define the playing field and the rules, and you will lose your rights as a result.

We each will have some things we care about, and others we don't, but we ALL need to support each other in ALL the fights for ALL of our rights; otherwise we all lose them one by one. I don't ride dirt, but I contribute and write letters and support the rights of dirtbikers, because it's the right thing to do, and because I want their support in return for the rights of sportbikers if/when those come under attack. This same principle applies to the rights of gays and Christians and atheists and gun owners and Muslims and immigrants and women and everyone else.

Otherwise, you wind up like BobbySands up there, with no concept of freedom, and thinking that everything you do is subject to some government "cost/benefit analysis" to decide for you whether or not you are qualified to make that decision for yourself. No thanks.

What I want is for a lot more of people minding their own business and not thinking they have the right to tell everyone else what to do. That's a problem that is a LOT bigger than helmet laws, but helmet laws are a symptom of that problem. I work to fight against that problem in a wide variety of ways, whenever I encounter it.

Maybe it's true that "a helmet law is the least intrusive option in the sea of potential limitations on the riding of motorcycles", but why accept ANY of those limitations? When you accept a limitation, you accept the whole idea that it's OK for others to put limitations on you and your choices, and you have then ceded the entire principle. You are no longer standing for individual rights and liberty; you have allowed the those who wish to restrict your rights to define the playing field and the rules, and you will lose your rights as a result.

We each will have some things we care about, and others we don't, but we ALL need to support each other in ALL the fights for ALL of our rights; otherwise we all lose them one by one. I don't ride dirt, but I contribute and write letters and support the rights of dirtbikers, because it's the right thing to do, and because I want their support in return for the rights of sportbikers if/when those come under attack. This same principle applies to the rights of gays and Christians and atheists and gun owners and Muslims and immigrants and women and everyone else.

Otherwise, you wind up like BobbySands up there, with no concept of freedom, and thinking that everything you do is subject to some government "cost/benefit analysis" to decide for you whether or not you are qualified to make that decision for yourself. No thanks.

PhilB

YUP! Nailed it.

__________________“Watch out for everything bigger than you, they have the "right of weight"Bib

I'm one of the purple (pink, actually) hair crowd, going back to 3rd grade when I got my first dress code violation for wearing a blouse with illegal ruffles. I guess I got hooked. I'm thinking about blue for my next hair. I liked it last time......

Pictures.

__________________“Watch out for everything bigger than you, they have the "right of weight"Bib

What I want is for a lot more of people minding their own business and not thinking they have the right to tell everyone else what to do. That's a problem that is a LOT bigger than helmet laws, but helmet laws are a symptom of that problem. I work to fight against that problem in a wide variety of ways, whenever I encounter it.

Maybe it's true that "a helmet law is the least intrusive option in the sea of potential limitations on the riding of motorcycles", but why accept ANY of those limitations? When you accept a limitation, you accept the whole idea that it's OK for others to put limitations on you and your choices, and you have then ceded the entire principle. You are no longer standing for individual rights and liberty; you have allowed the those who wish to restrict your rights to define the playing field and the rules, and you will lose your rights as a result.

We each will have some things we care about, and others we don't, but we ALL need to support each other in ALL the fights for ALL of our rights; otherwise we all lose them one by one. I don't ride dirt, but I contribute and write letters and support the rights of dirtbikers, because it's the right thing to do, and because I want their support in return for the rights of sportbikers if/when those come under attack. This same principle applies to the rights of gays and Christians and atheists and gun owners and Muslims and immigrants and women and everyone else.

Otherwise, you wind up like BobbySands up there, with no concept of freedom, and thinking that everything you do is subject to some government "cost/benefit analysis" to decide for you whether or not you are qualified to make that decision for yourself. No thanks.

it seems to me that at the least, eye protection should be mandatory in the same way that an uncracked windshield is mandatory. Especially on bikes with less wind protection, I can't believe riders with no helmet and no goggles or glasses can see adequately to maneuver safely at high speeds due to windblast alone.

if the public doesn't need protection from itself, why bother with licensing in the first place?

it seems to me that at the least, eye protection should be mandatory in the same way that an uncracked windshield is mandatory. Especially on bikes with less wind protection, I can't believe riders with no helmet and no goggles or glasses can see adequately to maneuver safely at high speeds due to windblast alone.

if the public doesn't need protection from itself, why bother with licensing in the first place?